


Dirty Chai

by TheMomeRath



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Punk Jack, nerd hiccup, punk/nerd AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:38:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1851613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMomeRath/pseuds/TheMomeRath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack works at a coffeehouse during his gap year between graduation and college. One day, a customer comes in who catches his eye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dirty Chai

“Can I get a dirty chai? Single shot of espresso, please.”

Jack looked up from his seat behind the bar and smiled, the two piercings on his bottom lip moving with his wide smile as he scribbled down the order. “Anything else for you today?”

“No, thanks.”

“All right. Your total is three eighty-one.” The longer-haired brunet pulled his wallet from his back pocket and handed over a five dollar bill. Jack handed him his change and smiled again. “We’ll call out the drink as soon as you’re ready.”

“Thanks!” The brunet with the thick-rimmed glasses shoved the change into his pocket and walked across the tiny coffeehouse to sit in a small booth. As soon as Jack passed the boy’s order on to the other barista and finished with the next customer, he looked back to the boy who had just placed his order, who had pulled out a textbook and a notebook and looked like he was actually… doing… homework.

Jack smirked and glanced up at the clock, then turned around to the rack of flavoring syrups behind him, preparing the italian soda that his sister would no doubt order as soon as she walked in the door. One pump raspberry, three pumps blackberry, two lime, and two lemon.

Exactly thirty seconds after he finished stirring the club soda with the flavor shots, his sister came through the door with a smile on her face. “Hey, Jack.” She set two dollars on the counter. “How’s work today?”

Jack ran his tongue ring against the inside of his teeth while he thought for a second, clicking behind his dark lips until he thought of a response. “There haven’t been a… ‘latte’ problems today.”

Groan. “That one is so much worse than usual.” Emma smirked at him. “Haven’t had enough time to think today or something? Was there something crazy that happened?”

“It’s not like I spend all day thinking of coffee puns,” Jack laughed as he sorted out her change. “That was just the first one to come to mind.”

“Yeah, I definitely noticed you hadn’t thought it out much.”

Jack rolled his blue eyes.  “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” She glanced around the nearly empty shop. “Looks like there’s not much happening right now.”

“Well, it is a Friday night… People tend to actually do things. Unlike you.”

Emma stuck her tongue out at her older brother, who responded in kind. “Fine, I don’t go anywhere very often.” She glanced behind her at the boy who was now hard at work on what Jack had decided was Trig homework. “Looks like I’m not the only one.”

“Yeah, let’s see-” Jack stuck up one finger. “A kid who does his homework alone in a coffeehouse-” another finger- “An old man who picks up decaf coffee and leaves right away every night so he can get to sleep-” two more- “And the people working here.” He held his hand in front of his sister’s face. “That makes four. And then there’s you.” He gestured at the whole room. “Looks like we’re a big, happy, kind of boring family!”

Emma sipped her soda. “Have fun with your family. I have a date tonight.”

Jack raised a dark eyebrow, lifting the silver piercings in surprise. “Really? Mom and dad know about this?”

Emma raised both her eyebrows right back at him and took another sip before replying. “Not if I can help it.”

A grin spread across Jack’s face. “And you trust me with this information… Why?”

“Because I know about your last tattoo that you got. Without their permission, by the way.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “Definitely a good reason.”

The rainbow-haired barista down the counter announced the Chai that the boy had ordered and Emma glanced up at Jack. “‘Dirty’ Chai?”

“That’s what it’s called.” Jack shrugged. “I didn’t choose the names.”

“I wonder what else he likes dirty,” she whispered just loud enough for her brother to hear, and he guffawed loudly.

“Did I miss something hilarious?” The blue, green, and pink haired barista asked, wiping her hands off with a towel as she approached. “Hi, Emma.”

“Hey, Ana.” Emma’s eyes flicked from the woman to Jack. “Not much. I’m just trying to see whether my brother has a dirty mind today or not.”

“He always does,” Ana lilted, setting the towel down. “What are we asking this time?”

Jack stuck a hand up. “Hey, now. There are people still in here.” He tilted his head in the direction of the boy. “Be polite.”

“As if polite is a word you know,” Emma mumbled.

“I heard that.”

Ana laughed. “You two are ridiculous.” She turned to Jack. “But seriously, though,” She said, a little more quietly, “if that boy caught your eye, you better not chicken out and avoid talking to him.”

“Even I got a date before Jack did,” Emma pitched in.

“Impressive!”

“Excuse me?” Jack stuck his hands on his hips. “Are we going to let me have any input on this conversation?” The other two glanced at him. “I never even had a thought about him! I took his order and that’s it.”

“Well, are you saying he’s not cute?” Ana leaned on one elbow against the counter. “Not enough piercings for you?”

“I’ve only got eleven,” Jack grumbled.

“I only see eight,” his sister said, narrowing her eyes questioningly.

“Yeah, we’re dropping that topic,” he quickly replied before his sister could start imagining where the others were. “Anyway, I don’t care if he’s got a million piercings or none at all. He’s cute enough, sure, but It’s not like I look at every guy I’ve ever seen and immediately think I’d like to get on them!”

“You sure about that?” Ana asked with a smirk.

“Okay, sometimes. Not always.” Jack rolled his eyes. “But really? I wasn’t even thinking about him like that until you guys brought it up!”

Emma glanced over her shoulder again. “So you’re saying you are now?”

“What? No, I-”

“Ooh, Jack. Your sister’s got you pinned.” Ana grinned and high-fived the younger girl.

Jack blushed and groaned. “No, that’s not- Argh!” He stuck a hand through his spiky bleached hair. “God. You both suck.”

“You love us,” Emma teased.

Jack smiled despite his ridiculously red face. “Well, obviously.”

Grinning, his sister reached across the counter and poked him. “I’m just teasing. I know you weren’t thinking about him that much.”

When Jack didn’t respond, she raised an eyebrow. “Well, at least you weren’t before.”

“Now I am, thanks to both of you.” Jack bit his lower lip, sucking in on the ring. “Look at him, just doing his homework.” He sighed. “God. You two have turned me into such a creep.”

Ana nodded. “And we are proud of it.”

Emma glanced down at her phone. “Hey, Jamie is coming by to get me in a few minutes. Let me know if I miss anything big, okay?”

“Will do!” The girl with the multicolored hair grinned. “Have fun on your date!”

Emma waved and blew a kiss to her older brother on her way out the door.

“Be smart,” Jack shouted after her as the door closed behind her. He shook his head with a smile, knowing there wasn’t a chance she’d been listening.

“So. Do you know this boy she’s getting picked up by or no?”

Jack shrugged. “Maybe. She’s under control though.”

Laughing, Ana turned to go empty the mugs out of the sanitizer. “Takes after you, then?”

Jack was about to respond when the boy with the glasses and the math book approached the counter. “Where do you want this mug?” he asked quietly.

“Oh, um- I’ll take that.” Jack smiled and reached for the mug, admiring the eyes behind the glass lenses. “Thanks.”

The boy hesitated when Jack’s fingers touched his. “I- um, I heard you guys mention me.”

Jack, who had just recovered from blushing earlier, flushed red immediately. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I, uh- I definitely didn’t mean for the conversation to happen…”

The boy smiled. “It’s all right, really.” He realised he was still holding the mug and dropped his hand. “Um… I’m about to leave, my dad is coming to pick me up, but, um…” He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of torn paper. “Here. If you’re interested.”

Jack accepted it. “Um… Thanks.”

The boy stared at him for a second. “Yeah.” He adjusted his backpack strap, then blinked, his brilliant green eyes disappearing for half a second behind the thick lenses. “Have a good night.” He left quickly, and Jack was left staring at an empty coffee shop and a closing glass door.

“Looks like somebody is interested,” Ana giggled from across the room. “Did you get a number?”

Jack looked down at the paper, which he had unfolded. “Yeah.”

In neat handwriting, there was a phone number, and right below it, a sentence, followed by a name.

_I think I have a guess where those other three piercings are. - Hayden_

**Author's Note:**

> I'm considering expanding this story... I don't have a serious plan so far, but it's definitely on my mind a lot. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.
> 
> UPDATE 9/1/2016: As of right now, I do not have plans to continue this story. Thanks so much for the positive feedback, however! If you liked this, feel free to check out my other works or some of the many wonderful PN!AU stories out there!


End file.
